Darkroom Disease is a cluster of symptoms commonly experienced by those exposed to x-ray film processing fumes. DD is not a condition described per se in medical texts. Two large-scale surveys of radiographers conducted in New Zealand and the UK list the most common symptoms, in descending order of frequency: severe headaches, sore throat/hoarseness; nasal discharge; sore eyes; unexpected fatigue; sinus problems; persistent cold-like symptoms; nausea; painful joints; bad/chemical taste in mouth; mouth ulcers; tinnitus; tight chest; skin rash; lip sores; mouth ulcers; shortness of breath; unusual heart rhythms; chest pains; painful joints; and numb extremities. In Canada Drs G Liss and S Tarlo have described a similar symptom cluster when comparing the health of radiographers to that of physiotherapists.
Asthma is the most widely investigated and published aspect of DD, and, as a result, the National Institute of Health, and other jurisdictions now include those who use formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde to develop x-rays among those at risk of developing occupational asthma. Nevertheless, those of us with asthma commonly experience skepticism and a lack of support when we attempt to bring our concerns to light.
Because DD is not limited to asthma and appears to be a much more complex condition, parallels are being drawn between DD and other multi-symptom, multi-organ conditions like Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), fibromyalgia, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Speaking at the Canadian National Defense Symposium on MCS in 2001, Dr. Claudia Miller, a American researcher in GWS, included radiographers suffering from DD among cohorts suffering from multi-system illness caused by exposure to toxins.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
I live in the US.
I am needing some advice from my fellow Darkroom Disease sufferers.
I was offered a _one time non negotiable_ settlement with no medical care, ( my medical care would have to be from my private plan) and no retraining for a different career.
1.) What are the long term effects? I have "Occupational Asthma" and "Allergies" Any articles I can take to my attorney to prove to him I need this medical coverage?
The amount of money offered would allow me to take about a year off and take online schooling for a paralegal certificate (my choice). Can't think of anything else I could do - if you have ideas please let me know! I could work in an office setting once I received my certificate.
1.) Should I have to use my settlement moneys to pay for another education? I already did that once in my life. Should I push for vocational rehabilitation?
If I do not accept the settlement we would go to trial. The settlement is offered for an "allergy" at 15% of my body as a whole. No mention of the asthma. A friend of mine that worked in worker comp for 7 yrs said not to take anything less than 10%. So, I am grateful for the the 15%. I don't want to sound ungrateful or greedy, just wanting something that is fair. I don't like the wording that this is for an "allergy" when I also have asthma from the chemicals. Should I ask for more since it is an allergy and asthma or do they consider the asthma in the "allergy" wording? Also, my attorney thinks once this is settled that I will be "let go" since they can not find me a position that does not affect me in someway. What has been your experience after you left working in the chemicals? Did you feel better? Are you still having issues? I wheeze around hairspray, perfumes, etc. Does this get better with time or does it never go away? (I just received the offer in the mail so I haven't spoken with my attorney about it yet.)
Thanks so much for all of your help!
I am needing some advice from my fellow Darkroom Disease sufferers.
I was offered a _one time non negotiable_ settlement with no medical care, ( my medical care would have to be from my private plan) and no retraining for a different career.
1.) What are the long term effects? I have "Occupational Asthma" and "Allergies" Any articles I can take to my attorney to prove to him I need this medical coverage?
The amount of money offered would allow me to take about a year off and take online schooling for a paralegal certificate (my choice). Can't think of anything else I could do - if you have ideas please let me know! I could work in an office setting once I received my certificate.
1.) Should I have to use my settlement moneys to pay for another education? I already did that once in my life. Should I push for vocational rehabilitation?
If I do not accept the settlement we would go to trial. The settlement is offered for an "allergy" at 15% of my body as a whole. No mention of the asthma. A friend of mine that worked in worker comp for 7 yrs said not to take anything less than 10%. So, I am grateful for the the 15%. I don't want to sound ungrateful or greedy, just wanting something that is fair. I don't like the wording that this is for an "allergy" when I also have asthma from the chemicals. Should I ask for more since it is an allergy and asthma or do they consider the asthma in the "allergy" wording? Also, my attorney thinks once this is settled that I will be "let go" since they can not find me a position that does not affect me in someway. What has been your experience after you left working in the chemicals? Did you feel better? Are you still having issues? I wheeze around hairspray, perfumes, etc. Does this get better with time or does it never go away? (I just received the offer in the mail so I haven't spoken with my attorney about it yet.)
Thanks so much for all of your help!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Spread the Word!
Welcome Canadian DD pals. Please send this site to those who might benefit from the information or who may have information to share. While we explore this sharing process, you are encouraged to share medical and chemical exposure information but use of a pseudonym is recommended. A google account is required in order to make comments. Click on the "Sign In" and follow the prompts.
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